Rock drill



July 14, 1925 G. M. NELL R00 DRILL Filed April 2, 1920 grwtwfoz Patented July 14, 1925.

UNITED STATES GUSTAVE MI. HELL, 01: DENVER, COLORADO, ASSIG-NOR '1O THE DENVER ROCK DRILL, MANUIEACIJURINGv COMPANY, OF DENVER, COLORADO, -A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE.

Application filed 1 m 2,

' To all whom it may concemr I Be it known. that I, GUSTAVE M. NELL, a' citizen of the United States, residing at Denver, in the county of Denver'and State of Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rock Drills, of which the following isa specification.

In rock drilling apparatus of the type having a fluid actuated motor for operating on the drill steel, various means have been provided for blowing out the drill ,hole

by utilizing steel having a bore there through and directing the cleansing fluid from-the motor to this-bore. Occasionally it is desirable tolsupply an abnormal blast J not air to eject accumulated cuttings. The

L object of the present inventionis to provide simple means, whereby the drilling motortuating and holding the automatic may be stopped-without cutting oil. the Supply of motive fluid thereto, so that the'motive fluid-mayflow directly to the drill steel.

A. further and more specificobject is to provide controlling means that can be actuated and held without material resistance and without the necessity of manually. acdistribut- "ing valve. I

The accompanying matic view illustrating the improved'mech; anism. v

In said drawing, a cylinder member .designated generally by the reference numeral 1 is provided, with the usual chamber 2, in. which a piston 3 is mounted to reciprocate, said piston having an extension 4 that has an interlocking engagement witha chuck- 5. The chuck 5, is provided in its front end with a socket 6 angularin cross section to receive the rear end of a drill steel, a portion of which is shown at 7; This steel is provided with the usual axial bore 8 for conveying cleansing fluid to the bottom of the drill hole. A tube 8 extends through the piston and enters the bore 8 for the purpose of delivering water thereto, as is Well understood by those skilled in the art. The portion of the tube that enters the bore is of less'diameter than said bore, and it will be 'evident that with the arrangement disclosed, motive fluid from the piston chamber 2 can. pass the extension 4 to the bore 8 of the drill 'steeli7'. '1

Associated with the cylinder member '1 is a valve casing9 provided with abore 10,-tl1fl drawing 1s a diagramnoon DRI L.

1920. -Seria1No.370,820. 4

portion has anannular groove 13, with which communicates-a motive fluid supply port 14, andvon. opposite sides of the groove 14, are annular channels 15, from which extend exhaust ports 16. Distributing and exhaust-permitt1ng passages 17 open into the bore .10 between the central groove 13 and the channels 15, said passages 17 communicating with the piston chamber 2 contiguous to the ends thereof.

An automatic distributing valveis employed that is located in the bore, 10, and comprises terminal'heads 18 operating in the chambers 11 and 12, andhollow as usual to receive the terminal lugs in-the ends of the;;val ve 'chamber wit an integral shank l9 co'nnecting the heads and having a central'flange 20 that is movable with the valve to positions on opposite sides of 'the central groove' l3. It willflbe observed that when the valve is in its-left hand position motive fluid suppliedthrough the port 14, can pass freely mtoythe right hand passageway 17 and into the piston chamber 2 in advance of the piston 3, while the space in rear of said piston' isopen through the left handpassageway 17 to. the 'atmos here, through the left hand groove 15-an exhaust port16.

The piston will thus bedriven rearwairdly.-

On the other hand, when the piston is in its rear position and the valve is shifted forwardly, then motive fluid supplied through the port 14, will pass throughthe left hand passageway 17 and enter the piston chamber 2, "behind the piston, while the right hand passageway 17.;is then open to the right hand exhaust port 16. For the purpose of effecting the shifting movements of the valve, crossed passageways- 21 and-22 are employed that connect intermediate portions of the piston chamber 2 with the {pressure chambers 11 and 12. That is to say, the passageway 21 opens into the piston "chamber 2 to the left of its center and is in communication with the right hand pressure chamber ll. This mssage way 21 is covered by the piston 3011 its rearward movementand is uncovered as it approaches the limit ol'- its forward movement. The passageway 22 which. as shown, is of greatcrcross' sectional area. than the passageway 21 opens into the piston chombor tothe 'right of its center and Said passageway 22 communicates with the lefthand 40 I -ing.on.its rearward stroke, with valve in its rear osition,-'motive'fluid will enter the.

.front en of -the piston chamber '2 and drive the piston .rearwardly, and simultaneously,

pressure chamber 12. The passageway 22 is covered by the piston 3' and is uncovered by the fro nt end of said piston as said piston approaches the rearward limit'of itsmovement. .It will thus be seenthat the motive =flu'id under pressure which is opcrating alternately against the opposite ends of the piston 3 has access alternately to the pressure chambers 11 and 12, and consequently against the end faces of the valve.

In addition supplemental ports 23 and 24 open from the distributing assageway 17 into-the.pressure chambers 1 and 12, re-

spectively, and thus permit a relatively small amount of motive fluid to pass into said chambers whenever the motive fluid has admission'to'the respective passageways 17 relatively small .cross sectional area, are the supplemental ports 23 ton chamber 2' to the pressure chamberl12,

, is intersected by a bore 27in which is located a reciprocatory plunger valve '28 that L is; thusmovable to and from a position" across the p'assageway'to control the same.

[The movement of the valve .is'limited and said valve is retained in the valve casing 9 b'y a pin;29 engaged in a slot 30 formedin the-valve, said .valve being provided with an outer actuating. head 31- and. a coiled spring 32 surrounding the projectingend of the valve andjbearing against the head- 31 and" against the adj acent face of-the'valvecasing- 9ito lnor'mally hold the 'valve inopen positionfi- The.operation ofthemechanism s as follows") Assuming that the piston is startsure chamber ll'throughthe supplemental passageway 23. andthe pressurein' said,

'- chamberll'is sufiicient to hold the valve in its left hand position, as illustrated. Atthe same time, it-will be notedthat' there is but;

'atmo'spheri'c' pressure in the left hand chain-'- ber 1 2, since-thischamber is wfreely open to atmosphere, "and motive fluid. under pres sure is cut off both throughthe-passageways 2 2:- and until the. passageway 22 1's iin-.

tial full pressure will. then pass .-through the chamber? 12-andfwill move the fvalve to lthe right. Ibis-"immediately opens,-.theiei haust-. "from-the: front .end--.of;tl 1e piston chamber--2 and completely relieves-'- the pressure"in the right handechambe'r 11; 'Tlievalve-isnow' heldin' its right hand-positionbyithe..-live placed in the;chug"-'-- ratus,.thecombination with, acyhnder .member,l apiston therein,

.fluid passing through the supplemental port 24:- into the left. hand chamber 12; As shown, the piston has just completed its backward stroke and has passed the passageway 17. It has, as usual, therefore pocketed and highly compressed the air becrease the amount or force of this motive" fiuid, thus directed to the drill steel. With the present construction, it is only necessary to press the valve 28 inwardly, thereby .closing the passageway 22 from the piston chamber to the left han'd pressure chamber 12:; WVhen this occurs the pressure chamber .12 is'cut off from. the ch arge of fluid that effects the shifting of the valve, and con sequently the valvewill-remai'n in its rearmost position' Asfaiconsequencethe piston 3 will stop and air under full pressure will ass. to the drill "steel. The ..controllin valve 28,'it will be noted, when in closed position, hasjpracticallyg no air. pressure From the forego the construction, operation and-many advantages of the hereingdescribed invention will be apparent-to those skilled in the art,

of the advantages of the. invention. 1

i g, :isithought that I .95 .againstit and consequently .can be easil held. p

- Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as-neW, and desire tosecure by Y .a small amount of fluid isentering the pres-:-

Letter'siPatent, is z and a. chuck for holding a steel having a bore, in a positionito be operated on bythe piston and to receive hole-cleansing fluid" from the cylinder, :of means for distributing jmotivelflui'd tothe cylinder memberto oper- ;ate the piston, said means including an automatic distributing valve, means for supply: W :ing-fiuid to the 'val e fonshifting the same,

covered-by the pistonand the passageway for shitting the valve whilethe fluid is .ad-

'smittedito the Tcylinderi'meinbento stop. the passageway-.22into theleft hand pressure operation of; said valve and-. hold. the piston I position .tolipermit fluidito" pass from the .cyli'nder. into the. bore, oi sa -1d, fd'rillf steel 2-. I I l ilfg 1 ated on by the pistonf and in position re-' "ceive hole-cleaning fluid'from-the cylinder, f of means for distributing motive fluid to the cylinder member to operate the piston, said means including an automatic distributing valve, means for supplying fluid to the valve for shifting the same, and means for cutting olf thefluid supply for shifting the valve to'stop said valve and permit a continuous 1e drill steel in the chuck.

flow of motive fluid to the cylinder and to a 3. In drilling apparatus, the combination with a cylinder member, a piston therein,

and a chuck for holding a steel to be operated on by the piston and ma position to receive motive fluid from the eylinder'to cleanse the drill hole, of a valve chamber and passageways affording communication between the same to the cylinder member, an 20 automatic distributing valve in the valve chamber controlling the passageways, means for GlfG'CillIlg the operation of the valve, 1n-

cluding a passageway between the cylinder member and the valve chamber controlled by the piston, and a single valve for cutting oiffluid through the passageway to stop the valve and hold the piston-in a position to permit a continuous flow of fluid under pressure from the cylinder to the bore of the drill steel.

4. In drilling apparatus, the combination with a cylinder member, a piston therein, and a chuck for holding a steel to be operated on by the piston, of a valve chamber and passageways affording communication between the same to the cylinder member, an automatic distributing valve in the valve chamber controlling the passageways, means for effecting the operation of the valve, including a passageway between the cylinder member and the valve chamber for supplying motive fluid from the former to the latter to move the valve, and a manually actuated valve for closing the said passageway to stop the operation of the valve and permit the flow of fluid from the valve chamber into the cylinder member and thence to a drill steel placed in the chuck.

In testimony whereof, I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GUSTAVE M. N ELL. Witnesses SAMUEL JOHNSON, M. S. DAVIDSON. 

